Annual surveying of truck productivity associated with Fremantle Ports’ container trade is showing a modest but encouraging improvement trend.
Since the first North Quay Truck Survey in 2002, container trade through the port has grown at an average of about five per cent annually, while truck numbers have grown by four per cent.
The truck productivity surveys are carried out by Fremantle Ports in association with the WA Port Operations Task Force.
The information gathered is used to develop an agreed approach with industry to improving road transport efficiency.
Fremantle Ports Manager Logistics, Doug Brindal said the data collected had enabled a better understanding of truck numbers and how they relate to trade performance, truck types being used and measures of trucking productivity, such as the number of containers per truck movement.
The most recent study, which was undertaken over a two-week period in September 2015, showed that observed truck numbers were 11 per cent below the same period in 2014.
As container trade during the three months between August and October 2015 fell by six per cent compared to the same period in the previous year, a reduced level of trucking activity had been expected, Doug Brindal said.
However, there was also evidence of improved efficiency in trucking movements.
“One result of the 2015 survey that is particularly pleasing is the reduced number of trucks travelling empty.
“The number of trucks arriving or departing from the port without carrying a container has fallen quite significantly to 26 per cent. While still higher than desirable, this compares favourably with 30 per cent in 2014 and 29 per cent when the surveying began in 2002,” Doug said.
Truck productivity has increased overall, mainly as a result of this decrease in empty running.
The 2015 survey also looked at truck capacity usage.
Truck capacity is the number of TEUs (twenty foot equivalent units) the truck is capable of handling and capacity utilisation is the percentage of this capacity which is actually being used.
In 2015, capacity utilisation was 93.5 per cent across all loaded container truck movements.
Truck Productivity Strategy
The Truck Productivity Strategy, developed by Fremantle Ports in consultation the WA Port Operations Task Force and port service providers following extensive work in 2014, aims to achieve improved truck productivity by implementing a range of initiatives throughout the supply chain. (See the Truck Productivity Study for details.)
The improvements achieved in recent years in trucking efficiency and productivity have been the result of a cooperative effort between Fremantle Ports, the Task Force and industry participants.
An effective structure of working groups is in place to facilitate ongoing improvement and implementation of productivity initiatives and the work will continue in 2016.
This article has been taken directly from the Fremantle Ports website. All credit given.
